The program was founded and first hosted by Robert H. Schuller.[1] It is currently hosted by Bobby Schuller,[2] who is Robert H. Schuller's grandson and the son of Robert A. Schuller, himself a former host. It was also once hosted by Sheila Schuller Coleman, a daughter of Robert H. Schuller.

The program is normally one hour long, but some networks broadcast an edited 30-minute program. It features a large congregation, mostly Christian music with a choir (with an orchestra as well as the Crystal Cathedral organ as of March 2012) and guests who speak about how God and their Christian faith have changed their lives for the better.

History

The program first aired in 1970 as a church service of the Garden Grove Community Church. It was originally hosted by the elder Schuller; the younger Schuller hosted it from 2006 to 2008.

On July 9, 2008, the presidency of the church was shifted from the Robert H. Schuller to his son-in-law Jim Coleman. On October 26, 2008, it was announced that Schuller had removed his son, Robert A. Schuller, as teaching pastor, but allowed him to remain as the Crystal Cathedral's senior pastor. Robert H. Schuller said that he wanted to take the ministry in a different direction and for the foreseeable future would use guest speakers for the weekly services rather than his son.[3] Well-known speakers who were used in the early stages of the new format included Lee Strobel, John C. Maxwell, and Bill Hybels. On November 29, 2008, the church announced that the younger Schuller had resigned.

On October 18, 2010, the board of the Crystal Cathedral filed for bankruptcy in Santa Ana, California.[4][5]

On March 10, 2012, it was announced that Robert H. Schuller and his wife, Arvella, would be leaving the church. The following day their elder daughter, Sheila Schuller Coleman, announced at the morning service that she would also be leaving the church, therefore cutting all family ties with the Crystal Cathedral and Hour of Power, stating that "This is the last Sunday we will be worshiping in this building."[6] The ministry's successor, the Rev. Bill Bennett, said that the ministry would continue but using a more traditional service.[6] In June 2012, the Rev. Bobby Schuller, the son of Robert A. Schuller, started preaching on a voluntary basis. In February 2013, Bobby Schuller was named as pastor for the Hour of Power. The Crystal Cathedral congregation was renamed Shepherds Grove in 2013. Financial considerations dictated a move to a smaller property soon after, as well as a decision to sell the Crystal Cathedral, to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange, CA https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_Catholic_Diocese_of_Orange, for 49 million dollars. The diocese plans to spend over 100 million dollars on structural repairs and alterations necessary to adapt the building for Catholic services. When completed, it is to be rededicated as "Christ Cathedral" . From Fall 2013 to mid April 2018 it was previously broadcast from a former Catholic Church in Garden Grove before moving to its current location in Irvine.

Further reading

Web site: Ron Rokhy. 30 June 2013. Crystal Cathedral holds last service before relocating. NBC Southern California. NBCUniversal Media, LLC. The Crystal Cathedral, which sold its campus to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange in 2011 due to financial troubles, held its final service on Sunday before swapping facilities with a nearby Catholic sanctuary.. 2013-07-06.